The Lower East Side, Part 2: In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire (we hear eyewitness accounts), immigrants who worked in the sweatshops of the "needle trade" formed labor unions to improve working conditions and pay. Their stories are told through a montage of oral history clips and interviews, enriched with music of the period.

FROM THIS EPISODE

The Lower East Side, Part 2: In the aftermath of the
Triangle Shirtwaist fire (we hear eyewitness accounts), immigrants who
worked in the sweatshops of the "needle trade" formed labor unions to
improve working conditions and pay. Their stories are told through a
montage of oral history clips and interviews, enriched with music of
the period. The Yiddish theater provided an escape from the daily
grind, and training for actors like Paul Muni who migrated to
mainstream show business. Isaiah Sheffer recalls his time as a child
actor on the Yiddish stage. Eventually, the children and grandchildren
of these immigrants moved out of the Lower East Side to better
neighborhoods, higher status and full assimilation, leaving behind the
customs, religion and the language of the old country. Produced and hosted by Larry Josephson.

Part 3 of 5, the series runs December 3-7 from 2-3pm
and is organized around themes, historical periods and individuals that
illustrate important aspects of this American Jewish history. The full
series will be available as a subscriber premium, in a fully packaged 8-CD set including additional feature programs and interview content.